Wilhelm vogel



(ModeL) 3 Sheets-Sheet 1. W. VOGEL.

Electric Signal Clock. 2 No. 242,238. Patented May 31,1881.

(ModeL) 3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

W. VOGEL. Electric Signal Clock. No. 242,238. Patented May 31,1881.

(ModeL) 3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

W. VOGEL.

4 Electric Signal Clock. No. 242,238. Patented May 31,1881.

%irlewwewl N. PETERS, Phuw-Limographur. Wilmington. D. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

\VILHELM VOGEL, OF HORNBERG, GERMANY, ASSIGNOR TO JACOB VOSSELER, OF SAME PLACE.

ELECTRIC SIGNAL-CLOCK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 242,238, dated May 31, 1881.

Application filed July 26, 1880. (Model.) Patented in GermanyNovemhera, 1875).

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILHELM VOGEL, of Hornberg, Germany, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Electric SignaLC/locks, which improvement is fully set forth in the following specification and accompanying drawings.

The object I have in view is to produce electric apparatus to be connected with or attached to an ordinary clock, which apparatus can be set to give any desired number of signals at predetermined moments of time.

The apparatus in its simplest form is intended mainly for hotels, to remind the clerk or porter of the time when the occupants of the different rooms have left directions to be called up. It is also intended for business offices, to give notice of matters that should be attended to, such as the falling due of notes or interest thereon or the time for keeping appointments of various kinds.

The apparatus can be connected with any correct-working clock, and can he set to give the signals a long time iii advance, the setting and producing of one signal not atiecting in the least any of the other signals. The signals can be produced by sounding an alarm or by displaying a number, letter, or otherinformatory matter, or both methods could be combined, an alarm being sounded to attract attention to the matter exposed to view.

Myinvention consists in the several special devices employed and in the various novel combinations of the operative parts, all as fully hereinafter explained, and pointed out by the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part hereof, Figures 1 and 3, Sheet 1, represent the battery in elevation, and the attachment to the clock-work in vertical section as the same is constructed when the apparatus is used for hotels, the connections between the battery and clock wor 1 attachment being shown. Fig. 4, Sheet ],is an elevation of the minute-tablet and its traversing-arm. Fig.5, Sheet 1, is an elevation of the hour tabletand wheel. Figs. 2, 6, 7, and 8, Sheet 1, area diagram of the wire connections between the clock, the minute and hour switch-boards, and the bell-alarms. Fig. 9, Sheet 2, is an elevation of the minute switch-board. Figs. 10 and 11, Sheet 2, are elevations of the hour switchboards, the wire connections between the same, and with the bell-alarms and minute switchboard being shown. Fig. 12, Sheet 2, is an elevation of the day and engagement switchboard used when the apparatus is adapted for business-offices. Fig. 13, Sheet 2,is an elevation of the time switch-board (for both hours and minutes) to be used when the apparatus is adapted for business-oflices. Figs. 14 and 15, Sheet 2, are respectively a horizontal and vertical section of portions of any one of the switch boards, showing the manner of conmeeting the wires. Fig. 16, Sheet 2, is an elevation of the imlicating-i'rame, with the flap of one compartment hanging down, the wire connection with the date and engagement switch-board being shown. Fig. 17, Sheet 3, is an elevation of the day tablet and wheel. Fig. 1.8, Sheet 3, is a sectional view of the attachment to the clock-work, showing the daytablet and wheel and connections, in addition to the parts shown in Fig. 3, Sheet 1. Fig. 23, Sheet- 3, is a rear view of theindicating-frame. Fig. 22, Sheet 3, is a detail view of one of the flaps to the indicating-frame, the armaturelateh and the controlling electro-magnet being shown. Figs. 19, 20, 2t, 24, and 25, Sheet 3, with Figs. 18 and 23, represent the connections between the battery, the clock attachment, the time switch-board, the day and engagement switch-board, and the indicatingt'rame and its belLalarm, all arranged as when the apparatus is adapted for use in business offices.

VVit-h reference to Shoot 1 of the drawings, the attachment to the clock-work has a shaft, a, made of non-conducting material -as, for instance, ivorywhich has a wheel, a, connected with and revolved by the clock-work, so as to turn such shaft a once every hour. At its other end the shaft to has a pinion, a", which turns a wheel, a, called by me the hourwheel, said wheel a making one revolution every twenty-four (24) hours.

Secured to the fame of the attachment and encircling the shaft (6 are two tablets, I) c, (the hour and minute tablets, res1'ieetively,) made of non-conducting material, such as hard rubher. The hour-tablet I) is set directly behind the wheel a, while the minute-tablet c encircles the shaft to near its other end. These tablets have secured to their faces isolated metal plates 1) 0 arranged in circles and having separate metal pins 1) c projecting through the tablets to their rear sides. The hour-tablet b has twenty-four (24) of such plates, (one for each hour,) while the minute-tablet c has only twelve, (one for every five minutes.)

The shaft to has a conducting metal arm, a turning therewith and carrying a spring, a which rubs over the plates 0 as the shaft arevolves. The wheel a carries a metal spring, a which presses on and traverses over the plates 71. The arm a is connected with the positive pole of the battery E of one or several elements by a wire and a spring, a, which presses on the collar of said arm. The negative pole of the battery is connected with the wheel a" through the journal-box arm I).

The signals are produced by the apparatus placed in circuit between the pins b and 0 which apparatus 1 shall now describe, having reference more particularly to Sheet 2 of the drawings.

I employ one rectangular wooden board, Fig. 9, to regulate the apparatus for minutes, and preferably two boards, Figs. 10 and 1], for hours. Each board has a number of metal pins, (1 (1, arranged in pairs and adapted to be hooked together on the face of the board, and extending through to the rear side of the board. 011 the back of the board the pins (1 of each row are connected by a vertical wire extending at one end (but not at the other) beyond the board, while the pins d of each row are connected by a horizontal wire, also extending at one end beyond the board.

On both the minute and hour switch-boards there are as many vertical rows of pins cl as there are rooms in the hotel, such vertical rows being numbered, as shown, along the top of the boards. The minute switch-board, Fig. 9, has twelve horizontal rows of pins, d, (one for every five minutes in an hour,) which are numbered on the side of the board 5, 10, 15, &c., up to 60. The hour switch-boards have each twelve horizontal rows of pins, 4, which are numbered, with the hours, from 6 to 5, inclusive, one board bearing the night-hours and the other the day-hours. The horizontal wires of the minute switch-board are connected with the pins 0 of the clock-work attachment, while the horizontal wires of the hour switch-hoard are connected with the pins b.

Bell-alarms L L L, &c., (one for each room,) are connected with the vertical or room wires, preferably between the minute and hour switch boards. These alarms are constructed in any ordinary way to sound the number of the room, or they can be made to display on a flap or pendant the number of the room and to sound an alarm at the same time, as will be readily understood. The vertical or room wires of the two hour switch-boards are connected together, and are connected with the vertical wires of the minute switch-board through the bell-alarms, as shown in Figs. 9,10, and 11.

To explain the operation, suppose the occupant of room No. 4 leaves directions to be called in the morning at fifteen minutes past ten oclock. Now, on the hour switchboard for day-hours, Fig. 10, at the intersection of the vertical room-column 4 and the horizontal hour-column 10, the pins d. (1 are hooked together, as shown at B, while on the minute switch-board, at the intersection of the roomcolumn 4 and the minute-column 15, the pins (7 d are also hooked together, as shown at A,

p as many other similar directions can be set in the same manner. When the spring a of the hour-wheel a reaches the plate b corresponding to the morning-hour 10, it traverses over the same until the spring (0 reaches and touches the minute-plate a corresponding to fifteen minutes past any hour, when the circuit for producing the first signal is complete and the current takes the following course: From the battery to arm 0, through wheel a and spring (5, to the plate I) on which said spring presses; then to pin 11 and into the corresponding hori zontal wire ot'the day-hour switch-board; then the current passes through the hooked pins (1 d at B into the vertical conducting-wire and through the bell-alarm L for room N o. 4 into the same vertical wire of the minute switclr board; then at A the current passes through the hooked pins into the horizontal wire of minute switch-board, and then to the corresponding minute pin and plate 0 c of the clock work attachment; then through spring (4?, arm a", and spring a into the wire that leads back to the battery. The establishment of this current causes the alarm to announce the number of the room, or, if the other class of signals is used, to show the number of the room and sound an alarm to attract attention thereto. When the signal has been noticed the pins at A and B may be unhooked; but if lelt hooked they do not interfere with the producing of other signals at a different time. Thus it will be seen that as many signals can be produced as desired, and that they can be governed to sound only when the proper hour and minute have been reached.

When the apparatus is to be used to call attention to engagements for which it is desired to set the apparatus days, weeks, or months in advance (as for business-offices) an extra timewheel in the clock attachment becomes necessary,\vliich I term the day-wheel. (See Sheet3 of d *awings.) This wheel f, Fig. 18, is carried by a shaft, f, and is connected by a train of gears with wheel a on shaft a, so that it will make one revolution in the desired time. I have designed it in the drawing as a twomonths wheel, making one revolution in sixtytwo days, but it can be made to run faster or slower by different gear-connections.

Like the other time-wheels, the day-wheelf has a tablet placed behind it, on which are socured sixty-two isolated metal plates, f, with pinsf The day-wheel f is connected with the battery through spring f 4 and a conduct- 1n g-wlre.

The time switch-board for hour and minutes that goes with the extended apparatusis shown in Fi 13. The hour and minute wires cross each other, no room-columns being required,) and are connected with the hour and minute pins b c of the clock attachment. This switchboard has twenty-four vertical hour-columns and twelve horizontal minute-rows. A day and engagement switch-board is also required, corresponding with the day-wheel. This board, Fig. 12, has sixty-two numbered vertical daycolumns and as many horizontal rows as there are engagements. These horizontal rows can be marked as desired on the side of the board for notes,interest, attendance atconrt, coupons, 8:0. The vertical or day wires are connected with the pins f while the horizontal or ngagement wires extend to the alarm and indicating frame, Figs. 16, 22, and 23. This indicating-frame is of well-known construction, closely resembling an electric hotel annnnciator. It is a frame divided into boxes, each carrying an electromagnet, and an armature, g, having a hooked outer end which engages with a notch in thedoor h, that closes the front of the box and holds such door in a closed position. The horizontal wires of the day and engagement switch-board are connected to separate electro-magnets in this indicating-frame, and all terminate in a single bell alarm on the frame from which a wire runs to the hour-wheel a.

The subjectmatter can be secured in the boxes of the indicating-frame or on the inner sides of the doors h.

The batteryis connected with the daywheel by one wire, the pins of the day-tablet with the vertical wires of the day and engagement switch-board by sixty-two wires, the horizontal wires of the day and engagement switch-board with the indicatingframe, the alarm of the indicating-frame by one wire with the hour-wheel (0 the hour Wheel a through pins b", by twentyfour wires, with the vertical wires of the time switch board, Fi 13, the twelve horizontal wires of this time switch-board with the minute-pins c and the minute traversing-arm a with the battery.

To explain the operation, suppose that at twenty minutes past nine oclock on the fourth day of a month a payment is to be made. In practice the apparatus would be arranged to give notice several hours in advance; but, for illustration, it is set at the exact time. ()n the day and engagement switch-board the pins (1 d at intersection of the fourth-day column and the horizontal row for payments, notes, or interest are hooked together, as shown at B, Fig. 12. On thetime switch-board, Fig. l3,the pins are hooked together at A representing nine oclock and twenty minutes. When the clock shows the exact time on the particular day, and not till then, the circuit will be completed, and the alarm will sound at the sametime that one of the doors of the indicatingframe will drop and disclose the subject-matter, which will indicate generally the nature of the engagement. The current in this circuit takes the following course from the battery to spring/ wheelf, and spring f to the fourth plate,f and fourth pin, 1' then through wire to the fourth vertical wire of day and engagement switch-board; then at B, Fig.12, to the connected horizontal wire of day and engagement switch-board, and to the corresponding electro-magnet of indicating-frame; then to alarm on indicating-frame; then to spring a of hour-wheel a then through hour-wheel, plate I), and pin 1) to vertical wire of time switchboard representing nine oclock; then at A, Fig. 13, to horizontal wire representing twenty minutes; then to minute-pin plate 0, spring a arm a, spring a, back to battery. When the signal has been noticed the pins are unhooked on the two switch-boards and the door it of the indicating-frame closed.

It is evident that in details of construct-ion the apparatus could be modified considerably without changing the principle upon which it operates.

The different parts of the apparatus in use can be placed in different rooms, and in the apparatus designed for hotels the alarms could be situated in the sleepingrooms, so as to awake the occupants, if desired.

What I claim as my invention is 1. An electric alarm or signaling apparatus wherein are combined a battery, a clock-move ment having a plurality of moving circuit closers and breakers, traversing independent sets of contact-plates, a plurality of switcl1- boards, one for each set of contactplates, and a number of alarms or signals connected by wires with all of such switch-boards and intersecting the wires from all the sets of contactplates, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. In an electric alarm or signaling apparatus, the combination, with the battery, of a clock-movement having wheels or arms rotating at different speeds and connected with. the battery, and traversing over contact-plates connected with wires leading to switch-boards, upon which switch-boards any of such contact-plates of the different wheels can be connected, and an alarm or signaling device, whereby all the contact-plates so connected must be brought into circuit before the alarm will sound, substantially as described.

3. In an electric alarm or signaling apparatus, the combination, with the battery and an alarm or signaling device for each room of the hotel or house in which the apparatus is placed, of a clock-movement, minute and hour switch-boards, such switch-boards being con nected together and crossed by wires representing the different rooms of the hotel, which room-wires also run through the alarm or sig naling devices and other wires representing hours and minutes intersecting the room-wires on the switch-boards and connecting with the clock-movement, whereby any one of theroomwires can be placed in circuit with any hour volves once every hour and traverses over V twelve plates, more or less, such plates being connected by wires with the switch-boards, so

i l I that any two of the plates can be placed in the circuit and the alarm will not sound till both wheels or arms are in contact with the connected plates, substantially as described and shown.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

\VILI'IELBI TOGEL. Witnesses:

GUSTAVE DIlTMAR, BERTHOLD Rot. 

